“International educators react to shock Trump victory”

After a shock win for Donald Trump in the US presidential election, educators in the US and overseas have reacted with concern that the victory will damage the US’s reputation as a welcoming destination as well as curtail work opportunities for international students in the country.

Could what Trump the President-elect says in the coming weeks differ from what Trump the Candidate said to his supporters in the heat of the campaign? Photo: Gage Skidmore (Courtesy of The PIE News)

A few international educational colleagues, mostly from the US, and I were quoted in response to questions about the possible impact of a Trump presidency on international student enrollments in the US. I’m sure this is something that will be discussed in more detail on US university and college campuses during next week’s International Education Week (IEW).

While a couple of colleagues have downplayed the impact of Trump’s election on international student flows to the US, or simply rejected the notion that it will have any impact at all, most are rightfully concerned, based on social media posts I’ve read and emails I’ve received. Like I said, time will tell. I would derive no pleasure in telling the skeptics “I told you so.”